2. How to Write a "Cold Email"

If you already have a grasp as to how to organize your email to contact your professors, then creating a “cold email” is pretty straightforward! Now, if you have never heard of this term “cold email,” not to worry. It is simply when you contact a person you have never met before and wanting to communicate with them in some capacity.

One way to learn whether you want to go into a certain field of study or pursue a particular career is to contact professionals within that field. This is a great way to get insight into not only what these professionals did to arrive to where they are, but also to learn whether YOU see yourself in their shoes.

Now, if you read “How to message your professor” you already know the format of an email:
1. Greeting
2. Purpose of Email
3. Closing remarks
4. Sign-off

This format holds true when writing a cold email. The only differences would be under “purpose of email,” you would explain your current position and express that you would like to “pick their brain” about. Below is an example.

“Hello Dr. Jane,

I hope you are doing well.

My name is Matthew Lujan, and I am a psychology major at CSULB with ambitions of becoming a high school counselor. To get a better understanding of the counseling profession, I was hoping you would be open to having an informational interview about your position. If meeting in-person might not be possible with COVID restrictions, I would be more than happy to meet with you over Zoom.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best,
Matthew”

And just like that, you are on your way to contacting a professional within your field of study. The informational interview could certainly be in-person, but, with the restrictions of the pandemic, it would be wise to mention that you are flexible with having a virtual meeting as well.

The cold email is an excellent way to gain a better understanding of the positions you are interested in and to expand your network of professionals.